Always family style, food on the table, even with just one guest and me. I try to serve attractive food, in nice serving dishes, with appropriate utensils so we all can take whatever portion we prefer. I really dislike being served food that is already plated because there may be something I'd prefer to pass by, or have less of. At least in restaurants when served plated food, I know what to expect on the plate and have no worries about insulting the chef if I don't eat my....whatever I might not care for.

Before we remodeled and added a peninsula we ate every meal at the dining room table. It was the only place to eat. I plated some things at times, but generally used serving dishes.

Even though we now eat most meals at the raised bar peninsula I still use serving dishes along with fabric placemats and napkins. When we have soup or something like Pad Thai I'll either plate for both of us or we'll each serve ourselves from the stove.

If a big family get together. Its buffet style. And food is everywhere. Table,counters even the stovetop. Get all you want just get it yourself. I will put some things on pretty platters,such as my olive bruschetta or shrimp.I will serve things like mac and cheese,casseroles and hot dips in the dish i baked them in. A lot of times, we serve things out of crockpots,family style. To keep it warm. All three methods were employed a few days ago at our family summer gathering.

For everyday, it's just me and SO, and I plate our food. Not to make it pretty. It just easier. I just dish it up for both of us and deliver it to wherever we are eating. Breakfast (his breakfast,my dinner...night shift minion here) is usually in bed. Dinner in the living room in front of the tv,sometimes(rarely) in the breakfast nook table thing. Neither of us usually eats more than 2 meals a day. My house has no dining room. It's just as well, if it did the dining room table and chairs would be covered in various tools and other stuff,which is why we hardly ever eat at the kitchen breakfast nook. Right now it has a gallon of some sort of carwash stuff, various random hand tools, a battery charger and welding gloves either on the bench or the table. Sigh.

It is just the two of us mostly and there is no way I could fix a plate for him. I would put too many vegetables or something on the plate. He thinks one teaspoon of green beans are too many. The oldest grandkid will eat three huge plates of everything. I like more vegetables and less meat or bread. One of the grands will eat as many rolls as he thinks he is sneaking on his plate. (He is not fooling anyone, we just don't care.)

I guess the only time you could say I plate, is in the winter and I am serving chili or stew. Then, I fix a bowl, put it on a plate and put the bread or crackers on the side.

^^^what Ritaweeda said^^^. I'll add that for a dinner party with eight or fewer, I plate the food in the kitchen and serve in the dining room.

If it's just the family, everyone goes to the kitchen and serves themselves from the pots. If it's a fancy dinner with china and three stemmed glasses and three forks, then each dish is plated with the main dish and maybe the sides, with salads on the table. If it's 16 or 20 people, then food is in serving dishes on the sideboard and people take plates and jostle for self service. Basically it depends...

If it is just DH and I, I plate it and serve it at the table. Larger groups are at the table with serving dishes.

I do as Elizabeth does. I know what DH doesn’t like and either I don’t give him any or if he’ll eat a bit, he just gets a bit. I’m never offended if he doesn’t eat everything so it’s easier with less dishwashing.

For guests it’s serving dishes on the table, even if it’s make your own sandwich for lunch.

This is so interesting!

I should add that I'm not rigid. It's not a matter of musts. It's just the way we do it. When I was growing up, if there even were a desire to put out buffet for a casual family meal in the breakfast room, the only place to set it up would have been on the dining room table. There really is no kitchen counter there, and not enough room in the breakfast room for traffic. For big feast days, there might be a buffet in the dining room, and banquet tables and chairs in the family room (with the normal furniture moved out), and the breakfast table used for staging and other kitchen duty.

My current kitchen is much larger, but not great for buffet either. I do sometimes put a buffet of nibbles and small foods on the dining room table, and put up occasional and tray tables in the living room. I do have a serving ledge on the patio, where I'll set out hard to pass dishes when we eat outside, but shades of home, it doesn't circulate well for a full on buffet.

Hubby and I got in the habit of serving out of the pots on the stove, less dishes. It seems a waste to pile food into bowls, and then leftovers into other bowls with lids for the frig. And there are ALWAYS leftovers.

I'd plate his food, I knew what he liked and didn't like and he could always serve himself seconds.

Me now, it's still serving from the pot, skillet etc, or re-heating a plate in the microwave. Again, I still have too many leftovers.

Depends -- if it's just the two of us, I plate in the kitchen and serve the food. When DD and her family comes, I often serve family style but sometimes I also serve plates and sometimes it's a combination (entree on the plate and sides served family style). When we have company 99% of the time, we plate in the kitchen and serve our guests.

I live alone, so I plate for me...

Well, okay, when there are 2, 3, 4, or 5 of us... I MAY plate, but it will depend on the nature of the dish. I don't over-plate - people want to return for seconds, there they go! And it is totally encouraged, and most folk don't hold back.

When I have my 12-15 people gatherings, I set up serving stations and people serve themselves, especially because when I have those gatherings, some are vegetarian, some are gluten-free, at least one is a meat eating lactose intolerant individual, and another can't eat beans.

When I host pot lucks, everyone also serves themselves, no matter how many or few of us there are.

Depends on the numbers and the type of meal.

If it's just the two of us I make up our plates directly from the pots. Salads and condiments are served in serving dishes and we each help ourselves.

Casual family or friend diners are usually served family style or buffet depending on numbers.

For more "formal" dinner parties I usually plate the meal but will serve from serving dishes on the table.....depends on the menu.

I almost always serve desserts at the table.....individual desserts excepted.

When I'm alone, which is most of the time, I eat standing up at the counter, looking out the window. I figure I sit on my ass so much during the day (I'm a writer) that any extra vertical time is a plus. However, when it's the two of us or a dinner party, we always eat at the table - family style.

I've been telling folks for years that I'm a cook, not a chef. If you want a glorious presentation, then you're in the wrong house. I'd rather eat finger food than fancy food any day of the week, any meal. And I'm definitely the wrong person to invite to a formal dinner, unless you've no problem with me eating in the kitchen with the cooks and servers.

Depends on the meal....if it's about presentation, like a sliced roast surrounded by roasted potatoes and vegetables, I will serve on a platter, but mostly I plate in the kitchen and when we are more than 4....everyone plates their own....and in a "one butt kitchen" sometimes that's a trick.
When I am alone mostly I eat in front of the TV or the computer....but when I had family...even just my husband and me, always at the diningroom table or the table in the family room or on the deck....set with a cloth ( on the deck) or placemats, knife fork spoon salad fork ( if having a separate salad) and steak knife if having a steak or chops.
If it's something from the grill, like steaks or chicken pieces or...whatever....I will serve the meat on plates in the kitchen and put the rest on the table in serving bowls.
Things like spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, soups and stews...casseroles, always get plated...and the sides passed.

Salad and breads go on the table. Hot food is dished out by me at the stove or on the counter depending on how much food there is. Every one comes with their plate. People go back for seconds by themselves.

Desserts are usually simple at my place. Most of the time it is ice cream and fruit. I serve the dessert myself and bring the dishes to my guests. Usually coffee and tea are served with dessert. DH does that.